Office furniture



Dec. 5, 1939. F. A. SCHMITZ 2,382,037

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FP50 SCHMITZ.

ATTORNEY Dec. 5, 1939. F. A. SCHMITZ 2,132,037

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FRE@ A ScHM/rz,

BY Q

ATTORNEY.

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ATTORNEYS.

Patented Dec. 5, 1939 PATENT GFFICE OFFICE FURNITURE Fred A. Schmitz, Cincinnati, Ohio, assigner to Globe-Wernicke Company, Norwood, Ohio, a

corporation of Ohio Application April 21, 1937, Serial No. 138,221

1 Claim.

My invention relates to office furniture and more particularly to metal knee-hole type flat top desks.

'Ihere has been a rather well .defined trend in this art toward metal furniture on account of the fact that such furniture is considered to be more durable and more resistant to the ravages of uneven temperature and uneven humidity than similar furniture constructed from wood, unless the wooden furniture used is of extremely high grade and correspondingly expensive. In the past steel furniture and in particular steel desks have been made of relatively heavy metal so that they could withstand hard usage.

For this reason steel desks have in the past been extremely heavy and difficult to move about, and their appearance has not been of the best.

It is an object if my invention, therefore, to provide a steel desk of novel construction which eliminates the disadvantages referred to above, and which is durable, light and neat in appearance.

Other objects of my invention which will be pointed out hereinafter or which will appear to one skilled in the art upon reading the specification, I accomplish by that certain construction and arrangement of parts of which I shall describe `an exemplary embodiment.

Reference is made to the drawings in which Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a desk according to my construction.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the desk with the top removed in order to show inner construction.

3 is a rear elevation of my desk.

Fig. 4 is a cross sectional view of one of the pedestals taken on the line 4 4 of Figs. 1 and 5.

Fig. 5 is a plan View of the left pedestal assembly with the top and top frame removed.

Fig. 6 is a cross sectional view taken' on the line 6 6 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 7 is an elevation of one of the drawer locking hooks.

Fig. 8 is a cross sectional view of the same taken on the line 8 8 of Fig. 7. l

Fig. 9 is a perspective view ofthe underside of the desk top.

Fig. 10 is a perspective View of the drawer latch on the inside of the drawer.

Fig. 11 is a partial perspective View of an end of one of the drawer guides.

Fig. 12 is a section through one of the legs, being taken on line {2 i2 of Fig. 1.

Briefly in the practice of my invention, I provide a desk formed from various structural shapessuch as angles and channels and thelike,

welded together to form a rigid integral framework. I then cover this framework by spot welding thereto a nishing material comprising sheet metal of light gauge which may if desired have an exterior deckle. By this construction I provide a desk which is fully as rigid as any metal desk known in the art and more rigid than most. At the same time the desk is made less expensive by virtue of my construction, and the weight of the desk is reduced from in the vicinity of three hundred pounds to vabout one hundred fifty pounds.

I have shown in Fig. 1 an exemplary desk comprising the pedestals indicated generally at I and 2, which pedestals carry the drawers 3, il, 5, and 6 and the double drawer l, as is usual. In the knee-hole portion there is a flat drawer 8 and the desk is provided with a top for writing surface 9.

The pedestals I and 2 are substantially identical in construction except in so far as one is a left hand and the other a right hand pedestal. I will, therefore, describe only one pedestal and it will be understood that the description thereof will apply to the other. 5, I provide corner members for the pedestal comprising angle irons I0, II, l2 and I3. The two rear angle irons I and II are connected together by means of the crosswise disposed angle irons lA and I5a which are welded respectively to the members It and Il. The two front angle irons l2 and I3 are connected by means of the channel members I5 and Hi. The member l5 is roughly channel shaped and Ais provided with an inturned flange Il which serves as a parting strip with the bottom of the bottom drawer. The front web of this channel has an inturned portion I9 which has an offset extension 20. The portion 20 is welded to the forwardly projecting leg of the angle iron I2. As may beseen in Fig. 5, the purpose of the offset 'in the flange I9 is to accommodate an edge of the finishing material as will be described hereinafter. Likewise it will be noted that the piece of the channel member I5 is offset as at 2| for the purpose of accommodating the bottom of the pedestal, as may clearly be seen in Fig. 4.

The member I' which connects the members (I2 and I3 together at the top is approximately J-shaped in cross section. The inturned flange 22 serves as 'a parting strip for the top of the uppermost drawer and the rear flange 23 serves to strengthen the structure.

The front and rear angle irons IB and I3, and II and l2., respectively, are connected by means Referring to Figs. 4 and of the drawer guides which I have indicated generally at 25. These guides are shown in cross section in several of the views. At the rear these drawer guides are welded directly to the angle irons i9 and yIl, respectively, as indicated at 25a, and at the front they are welded to small angle iron members 25, which are themselves welded to the angles i2 and i3, respectively. This construction is most clearly shown in Fig. 5. At the top the front and rear angles iii, I3 and Il, i2, respectively, are connected by the elements 2l and 27a. These members are welded to the front and rear angle iron members as indicated yat Z'ib in Fig. 4. The members 2l and 27a are provided with vertical portions 28 which are welded, as above pointed out, to the front and rear angle irons. At the lower end of the portions 28 there are provided the hook members 29 which serve as supports and guides for the pull-out shelves 3E. From the upper end of the portions 28 there extend outwardly the iiat horizontal portions or webs 3l which rest `o-n and may be welded to the tops or the angle irons I0, li and i2, E3, respectively. As may be seen in` Fig. 4, portions of the web 3i of member 2l are cut and bent up-wardly, as indicated at 32 for a purpose which will be described hereinafter. Bending of the portion 32 upwardly leaves the intervening portions 120. extending from the web 3l. Due to my construction the outer member 27a does not require the extending portions 32a but does have the upstanding portion 32h extendingthroughout its length, as best seen in Fig. 5. In order to further brace the pedestal structure I provide the Z-shaped members 33 which lare welded to the members 2l and 27a and also to the drawer guide members 25, as may be seen in Figs. 4 and 5.

The framework for connecting the two pedestals together and for supporting the desk top is best seen in plan view in Fig. 2 and in cross section in Figs. 4 and 6. I construct this member generally from two U-shaped pieces 313 and 35 which are connected together by strips 36 as shown in Fig. 2. In cross section this framework comprises the flange 31 which -is screwed to the members 2l and El@ which were described hereinabove, as indicated at 38. The frame further comprises an upwardly extending portion 39 yand a downwardly extending channel Iii).

The desk top itself which is best seen in inverted position in Fig. 9 comprises a slab of Ina.- sonite in my particuiar construction, although othery similar materials may be used. To the underside of this writing surface which I have indicated generally at 9 there are glued 4 wooden members lll, 42, 43 and M. 'Io strengthen the writing surface further, I p-refer to glue slats 45. When the member g is placed in `position the members 4i, ft2, i3 and Il@ rest in the channel portion 4G of the frame 35, 35 and the slats 45 rest on the portio-ns 32a of the members 2l which were not turned up'. For permanence, the writing surface 9 may be attached to the 'frame member by means of screws d@ extending through holes 55a in the bottom of the channel 40 into the members di, 6.12, i3 and llt, and screws 61 extending through holes HCL into the slats The pull-out shelf members 363 ride in the guides provided by the members 2l. On the underside of the members 3B I provide at the front a piece of angle iron 18, and near the rear a small piece of channel iron 39. Welded to the member i6 is a piece of channel iron 55 which cooperates with the members i8 and i9 to limit single drawers las is well known in the art.

are pivoted the locking bars 5l.

the inward and outward movement of the shelf members 30.

The drawers 3, 4, 5 and 6 `are of conventional construction. 'I'he drawer 1 is a double depth drawer made to appear on the front as two It Will be noted that they are provided with channel shaped indentations along the sides which are adapted to ride on the guide members 25. The double drawer l is provided with two such indentations so'that the drawers are entirely interchangeable. That is, the double drawer I may -be used in any one of four positions i. e. at the bottom or at the top of each pedestal.

The guides 5l for the center drawer are welded .to supporting members 52 which themselves are welded to the sheet of iinishing metal 79 in the inside of each pedestal. The members 'H9 will be described in more detail hereinafter. To the bottom of the top frame member 35 at the center I weld a channel shaped element 5d as indicated at 55. This member serves as a parting strip for the upper edge at the front of the center drawer, and also serves as an abutment behind which the latch member 55 of any conventional lock may abut.

Each of the drawers is provided on its inside adjacent the channel lportion which rides on the drawer guide with a latch member 51. The member 5l is pivoted as at 58 to a member 59 which is fastened to the inside of the drawer, as may be seen in Figs. 4 and 6. The member 59 is provided ywith an inturned iiange 58 which cooperates with an extension 5i on the latch member 51 to prevent the latter from dropping beyond a predetermined distance. In each of the drawer guides adjacent the front thereof I have provided a cut out portion 62, as best seen in Fig. l1. As the drawer is pulled out the latch member 51 rides along on the top of the drawer v guide 25 until the rear of the drawer reaches the cut out portion 52. At this point the latch member 57 drops down and engages inthe cut,

position such as is indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 4 and in solid lines in Fig. 6. Arms S5 of the bell crank extend'inwardly into the respective pedestals and normally occupy a horizontal position. 'Io the reduced ends of the arms 65 At the bottom of the pedestals the bars 5I are guided in the members 68 which are attached to the bottom of the pedestal. This bottom member will be described hereinafter in more detail. Near their upper endsI the bars 6? are guided in a slot 55 in a plate 'it which is attached in any desired manner to the angle member ill. A spring element 'Il acting between the plate 'lil and a point 'l2 on the member 5l? tends to maintain the latter in the drawer shown in Fig. e. l,

In order to lock the desk the center drawer is pushed in all the way, whereby the members I3 which are attached to the back of the drawer abut the end of the arms 55 of the bell crank levers and oscillate them againstv the .tension of Hinged in members 53 ill) the springs 1I, whereby the bars 61 are moved downwardly. Each of the drawers is provided in its rear with channel shaped members 14, one at each side in order to make the drawers interchangeable. The downward movement of the bars B'I causes the hook members l5 to engage the members 'i4 and lock the drawers in their closed position. The construction of the members 'I5 is more clearly shown in Figs. 7 and 8. They comprise the hook members 75a which are pivoted at h at appropriate points on the member 6I. Springs 'I5c urge the hook members 15a downwardly so that if the center drawer should be pushed in all the way while one of the other drawers is still open, it is still possible to push the latter drawer in and the front edge of the hook member a will be pushed upwardly against the tension of the spring ISCl and will be urged downwardly again to latch the member 'I4 when the drawer is closed.

As shown in` Fig. 4, I have provided an accessory comprising a roller 'IG pivotally mounted on a bracket member TI. This accessory is more fully described and claimed in my copending application Ser. No. 200,169, led April 5, 1938, as a division of the present application.

In order to present a nished appearance, I cover the framework of the pedestals withv sheet metal of light gauge which is preferably treated in some way to provide a pleasing external appearance. As may be seen in Fig. 5, I provide two similar pieces I9 to cover the sides of the pedestal at the outside of the desk and in the knee-hole portion. These members are provided with the radius portions to cover the unsightly appearance of the corner angles and in the front are provided with an inturned flange SI which fits into the recessed portion i9 in the channel I5 which was described heretofore. At the rear the members 'I9 are provided with flanges 82 for attachment of the back cover member 83. The members 'I9 are spot welded at strategic points to the angle irons Il), II and I2 and I3, respectively, and the back portion 83 is spot welded to the flange 82. The cover portion 'I9 for the inside of the pedestal has cut out portions 19a to provide clearance for the slats 45 and is welded as at 'ISU to the portions 32 of the member 21 which was described heretofore. The cover portion 'I9 for the outside of the pedestal is welded along its top edge to the upstanding flange 32h of member 21a..

The bottom cover members are welded respectively to the channel members I5 and I5@ as best seen in Fig. 4. At the front of the pedestals the bottom member 85 fits into the recessed portion 2|, and may be welded thereto. This bottom plate 35 is also welded at its sides and back to the inturned flanges 19e and 83e of the cover members 'I9 and 83 respectively. In

order to eliminate unnecessary noise when opening and closing drawers and the like, I prefer to line the cover elements with layers of felt, as indicated at 86 in the various gures.

At the rear of the knee-hole portion, in order to cover up the back of the center drawer I provide a finishing member 8l which is screwed to the inner members 'I9 as indicated at 87a.

To reinforce the back cover member 83 at its upper end I have welded thereto an angle piece 83a., said angle, piece extending between the flanges 82, 32 of the inner and outer cover members I9.

The vertical angles I0, II, I2 and I3 `extend below the body of the desk as at 9@ and constitute the leg portions of the desk. As seen in Figs. 1 and l2 these leg portions have coverings SI with a rounded portion 9 Ia and short side walls 9 Ib by which the coverings are welded to the vertical angles. Beaded formations lc and Qld at the top and bottom of the leg coverings are merely to enhance the appearance of the desk. Each of the vertical angles above mentioned has near its extreme lower end an inturned ear 92 threaded as at 93 to receive a screw 94. The screw 94 serves to attach a socket like member 95 which completes the leg structure.

Due to the construction herein disclosed all of the metal framework and covering employed may be formed of light sheet material, with the exception of the vertical cover members Ill, II, I2 and I3, which may be of angle iron or pressed steel. I have found in actual practice that for the average size desk the cover members in 'general may be formed of material .018 of an inch in thickness. The various reinforcing angles, drawer slides and channels need not exceed .050 of an inch in thickness and the vertical frame angles II), II, I2 and I3 may be formed from a good grade of steel .109 of an inch in claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

In a metal desk comprising a pair of pedestals formed from structural elements welded together f to form integral braced structures and covered with a finished sheet metal material of light gauge, a frame having an upwardly opening channel element fastened to said pedestals to space them and hold them together7 and a desk top providing a writing surface and having elements adapted to t within said channel elements fastened to its under side.

FRED A. SCHMITZ. 

